Online shoppers want better visuals and mobile payments

A survey of 1,000 shoppers has found that consumers would be more persuaded to make expensive purchases online if websites would provide more in-depth product information, better visuals and faster checkout.

KobietaAccording to PushON, the e-commerce agency behind the survey, 49% of people would spend larger amounts online if they were offered features and tools that provide as much information on products as possible before they buy.

The majority of consumers agree that visual tools and features online are valuable to help make informed decisions about considered purchases, with high quality photography taking the top spot in terms of importance. 22% of consumers would like to see better ‘images of the product in-situ’, and 17% prefer ‘3D product representation’.

“Parting with large sums of cash is a huge decision for consumers – so it can be quite frustrating when websites aren’t fit for purpose and don’t provide shoppers with the information they need to make an informed decision,” said Sam Rutley, managing director of PushON.

“In store, customers can see products in real life and can ask customer assistants for help if they have queries. But, accessing this information online is not quite as easy, with sites often failing to include in-depth descriptions or accurate photos of items.”

OMNICHANNEL EXPERIENCE

Another top concern for UK consumers is the buying process, which in the case of many retailers fails to integrate the online and offline experience. 52% of consumers think retailers should invest in technology that enables a better omnichannel experience and 16% would like to use mobile payments more to make buying online quicker.

Rutley commented: “Retailers need to be investing in their websites to ensure they can offer the same level of service and information shoppers would get in store – perhaps by updating sites to include interactive 3D images of products or representations of how they will look in situ. This will go a long way towards increasing consumer buying confidence as customers will be able to get a real feel for what the product actually looks like in real life, meaning they’ll feel comfortable spending more online."